In 2017, when Brett Morgen began work on his acclaimed 2022 David Bowie documentary, Moonage Daydream, he was given complete access to the late star’s entire, cavernous archive. At first, the director – whose work also includes Kurt Cobain: Montage of Heck and the Rolling Stones documentary Crossfire Hurricane – assumed the cans might contain some sort of footage shot around Bowie’s 1978 live album, Stage, recorded in mostly in Philadelphia. However, he soon realised they actually contained the holy grail of Bowie artefacts: footage of the legendary Earl’s Court shows later that year, which had remained unseen for almost 50 years.
However, the singer subsequently started making the Lodger album, moved to Switzerland, was reportedly unhappy with the film’s editing and the entire project was subsequently left behind. In the new year it will debut in arenas – not cinemas – almost half a century after it was made. Morgen and team spent nearly 10 years readying it for 2027 as a multimedia experience.
Missing from Morgen’s film will be the extraneous stuff Hemmings added to the concerts. Different arrangements two nights running. You can feel the danger and excitement that it could have gone off the rails at any moment and David was very charged by that.
By the end of the first set he’s reeled them in and by the end of the second set the place is just insane. The performance of Station to Station is incredible.” During the second show, on 1 July, Bowie quips, “OK, this will be interesting”, and performs Sound and Vision for the first time ever. Then the camera stays with David when he goes off to the sides, having a glass of beer or smoking a cigarette, and he’s so engaged, dancing and smiling.
I think this was the first time he’d performed without a mask, or ‘character’, so to speak.” Morgen isn’t giving everything away but promises “surprises” as well as “a new medium of entertainment”. The performance is 1978 but the presentation is 2027. The audience is invited to gaze where they want to gaze: choose your own adventure.
Eleven years after his passing, it makes perfect sense that Bowie will be trailblazing again.”
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